SPUDS {and also he told me i can get my christmas tree flocked}

dean didn't walk until he was almost 17 months.

the pediatrician says he's a "classic 4th baby."

i wasn't worried,

but i could tell by the way he was giving me his spiel,

he'd had other moms in there worried.

then it was like he remembered who he was talking to,

and he laughed, and i laughed,

and we remembered how awesome it is to just know that kids are awesome,

in their own individual unique little ways.

and then we discussed at length about how perfectly perfect he is in every way.

i think the thing i've loved the most about the 4th baby 

is that i've never rushed him in anything.

when he didn't want to crawl, i went with it.

when he didn't want to eat baby cereal, i went with it.

when he didn't want to walk, i went with it.

every part of me wants to make him last as a baby forever,

and if that means him not walking until he's 2,

then that means i'm soaking him one minute longer than if he had done it before then.

sometimes i look at sean and can't imagine not having another baby.

other times i feel like we were nuts to have 4.

you know those nights.

when everyone is melting down,

the 4 yr old takes the baby's diaper off trying to help him get in the tub,

but the diaper is full of poo,

and now the poo is all over the 4 yr old,

the legs and feet of the baby {bc the baby is now stepping in the diaper full of poo on the floor that the 4yr old took off on his own--so helpful i tell you},

the rug in the bathroom,

the wall in the bathroom,

and also in the water in the tub.

yep, that happened once.

it's those days where i feel totally in over my head.

but the there's these other days.

where i'm sitting on the floor of the big room playing cars with dean.

and he's making sounds as the cars come crashing down.

everything is calm.

and then he sits his little chubby body on mine and is still for a minute.

i feel like i might die from intoxication of his little baby self.

and i just want to have him be like this forever.

and i can't imagine not having a baby in my house.

i've had a baby in my house for 8 1/2 years straight you see.

and it fuels me.

i makes me feel sane.

except on the days it doesn't of coarse.

all moms know what i'm talking about here.

so for right now,

i'm just not going to worry about him getting any older.

because right now, i'm soaking in every second of him being 17 months young.

also, his little noise he makes when he buries his face into my neck 

and rests his head on my shoulder.

his favorite book is baby beluga.

i sing it to him, and he turns the pages.

sometimes he crawl all over me and pulls my hair.

other times he just rocks his body to the beat of the tune.

and his baby mullet.

he's bringing the mullet back guys.

curlz and all.

this fall's latest trend i say.

this picture of the boys and me made me laugh out loud.

we could barely hold the potatoes they were so big.

we literally kept dropping them, and then they'd roll around on the ground,

and dean would chase after them,

and we just ended up covered in dirt.

then i made mashed potatoes bc it was supposed to snow {and it did}.

on accident, the 5 potatoes i boiled made about enough mashed potatoes to feed us for thanksgiving and christmas.

i asked sean if we could reheat these on thanksgiving,

or it that was sacrilegious?

he said he thinks i'm getting smarter and smarter as the years go by.

this is why i love him.

also, he told me i can get my christmas tree flocked.

i love him a lot.

please note: chase's grubby chubby hands.

also, the gatorade.

i'm happy to report this has been a puke free house since a few days ago at least.

{dean says 

"wooooooaaahhhh!!!" 

every time he puts a car down the ramp.}

why do babies have to grow up?

i want more...sometimes.